Changes
by HazelFromBehind
Summary: It’s Hermione's 6th year at Hogwarts and everything’s changing, with her biological mother’s death finally out in the open, her weird nightmares, and her mysterious changing appearance, she discovers that everything she ever knew was not what she thought.


**  
Disclaimer; I own nothing. Everything belongs to JK Rowling.**

**A/N: Okay. I know, I know. I'm alive! I _know_ I haven't updated any of my other stories in forever. And I'm terribly sorry. I really am. And I shouldn't even be starting another story when I should be working on Firewhiskey and Stumbling. I know. I'm sorry. I'll get on it. But, for now. Enjoy this new story. It's another plot bunny that's been hopping around my head. Anyways, please review?**

**Summary: It's Hermione Grangers Sixth Year at Hogwarts and everything's changing, with her biological mother's death finally out in the open, her weird nightmares, and her mysterious changing appearance, Hermione discovers that everything she ever knew was not what she thought. AU! Eventual DMHG. ****Sixth Year.**

**Chapter One.  
****Changes.  
****September 18.  
****Sixth Year.**

Hermione Granger stood still as she listened to the 'drip, drip' sound of water coming from the leaky facet from the bathroom sink. She gripped the stone basin sink with both her hands, hard, and stared at herself. Brown eyes that usually held a spark stared back at her, looking empty from lack of sleep. She raised her eyebrows and stared at the dark circles under her eyes.

"I look horrid." She muttered to herself.

Hermione flicked a lock of her wet curly brown hair from her eyes and leaned closer. There was something wrong with her reflection.

Her eyes, in particular.

Her warm brown eyes, well—technically her father's warm brown eyes—were flickering. Hermione stared at herself, her face close to the mirror and her nose almost touching the glass. Her chocolate colored eyes were flickering back and forth.

They swirled and flickered from her normal chocolate brown color, to a frosty clear dark blue, a dark pitch black, and then back to her regular chocolate brown. Hermione narrowed her eyes at the last dark color. If she hadn't been this close to the bathroom mirror, she never would have noticed that the last color wasn't black. It was just a very dark green. Hermione stared, but blinked with her eyes repeated the pattern again. She frowned and furrowed her brows.

That is not…normal." She muttered, looking away. She shook her head furiously, her wet hair swinging then clinging to her face. She pushed her hair behind her ears and sighed.

Hermione turned her face back to the mirror and stared at her reflection again. Her eyes had stopped flickering. Hermione snatched her wand from the corner of the sink and placed a glamour charm to hide the circles under her eyes. She didn't want anyone to know that she was having trouble sleeping. She flicked her wand at her hair and it dried instantly, a charm she learned from Parvati. Hermione shouldered her book bag, checked her reflection once again. Everything looked normal, except for the tiredness in her eyes. Hermione faked a smile and stepped out of the bathroom.

Hermione checked her wristwatch and picked up her pace, knowing dinner was half finished and that Ron and Harry were probably worried about her. Hermione quickly made her way to the Great Hall.

Instantly, the wafting smell of fresh food and loud chatter from the Great Hall assaulted her and Hermione's stomach clenched. She was sleepy and the thought of food made her queasy. She quickly made her way over to Ron and Harry, having spotted Ron's bright red hair and Harry's black.

"Her. Mon. Nee." Ron muffled through his mouthful of food when he spotted Hermione walking toward the table. Harry glanced up and gestured to the empty space next him.

"Ron, don't talk with your mouth full." Hermione snapped, plopping down to the empty seat next to Harry. "Hello, Harry."

"Hi, Hermione." Harry smiled at her, reaching for a treacle tart. He took a bite. Ginny smiled at Hermione next to him. She made a pointing gesture at Hermione and Hermione nodded, understanding Ginny wanted to talk to her after dinner. The boys were oblivious.

Ron swallowed loudly, before turning to Hermione. "Where were you?"

Hermione watched Ron take another bite as he waited for her answer. "Oh, I was just in the library." Hermione lied, wincing as she did so. She wondered why she lied, but her gut told her to do it and Hermione squashed down the guilt she felt whenever she lied to Harry or Ron.

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at the typical Hermione behavior. Ginny nudged Ron in the shoulder, glaring at him.

"Hey, Hermione." Ginny said, staring at her, causing Ron and Harry to glance up from their food to stare too. Hermione blushed under the attention. "Did you do something different with your hair?"

"What? No." Hermione answered, confused. "What's wrong with it?"

"You know, it does look different, Hermione." Harry said, staring closely at her. Ron nodded slowly in agreement. Hermione reached up self-consciously and tugged at a curl, feeling it softer than ever before. She held it out and into the light so she could see it clearer. She gasped. Her normally bushy brown hair had gone a few shades darker and _smoother_.

"I—I used a drying charm earlier. I think I might have messed up." Hermione lied, her voice cracking. What was wrong with her? First the weird nightmares, then her eyes, and now her hair? "I'll meet you guys in the common room."

Ron and Harry shot confused looks to each other at Hermione behavior. They shrugged and dubbed it to girls and their weird hormones. Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but it was too late. Hermione had shot up from her seat and fled the hall, causing many students to stop and stare at her weirdly. Hermione ran on, never noticing a particular pair of silver eyes staring after her curiously, more curiously than any of the other students who turned back to their dinners.

**HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG**

Hermione stood in front of the only non-enchanted mirror in her dormitory in the Gryffindor tower. Hermione clutched at er hair, staring at it's dark brown shade. She _knew_ it wasn't from her hair drying charm. Hermione would bet her book collection at home on it. She had used that charm a million times before and had never messed up once. She practically knew it by heart. She could do it in her sleep! And even if she had messed up, Hermione knew it wouldn't have changed her hair color…

"What's happening to me?" She whispered to herself. Hermione suddenly felt an erge to just start crying. A tapping noise from her dormitory window startled her out of her confusion. It was an owl.

"Hermione quickly opened her dormitory window and let the formal looking owl in. She stared at it with her brow furrowed as it stuck its leg out to her. Hermione reached down and quickly untied the scroll. But, before Hermione could turn around and hand the bird an owl treat, it spread its wings and was already flying out back through the window.

Hermione stared after it in confusion and stared at the scroll. It had the official Gringotts stamp on it and Hermione muttered a quick 'what?' in confusion, furrowing her brow even more. She didn't even have a Gringotts account, seeing as her parents were muggles and just exchanged her money for her.

Hermione slowly unrolled the scroll and quickly read its contents. It read:

_Dear Ms. Hermione Jane Granger,_

_We are please to inform you that on the date of tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, you will be of legal age in the Wizarding World. As you late mother, Beatrice Miller, requested on her will, all possessions she owned will now go to you, Hermione Jane Granger, on your seventeenth birthday, should she pass away before. Her possessions include the following; her many diaries, code dated; all her Wizarding and Muggle money; and her inherited house located in Wiltshire. You are requested to arrive a Gringotts tomorrow at 11 o'clock in the afternoon to settle and fill out forms for permission to start your new back account. Please come to the 4th counter and request for Wilfred Downy, Head of Transfers and Inheritances of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. _

_Thank you and good day._

_Sincerely,  
Ugkrook Reveard  
Head of Gringotts Wizarding Bank._

Hermione let the letter flutter to the floor in shock. Her late mother Beatrice Miller?

Beatrice Miller?

Hermione had never heard of anyone named Beatrice Miller. Who was Beatrice Miller? Hermione crinkled her forehead in thought. It must have been a mistake. She didn't know anyone named Beatrice Miller. Beatrice was not her mother's name. But, Miller was her mother's maiden last name. It must have been a mistake. It must have been another Hermione Jane Granger! It could have been a joke! Yes, a prank!

Hermione took a deep breath and her rational thoughts flooded back to her. Owls were known for their proficiency for delivering their letters to the right person. And a prankster would have never been able to obtain a Gringotts seal. Hermione picked up the letter an examined it. It looks absolutely real. Hermione took another deep breath.

It was a mistake. She was sure of it. Her mother was her mother. Whoever this late Beatrice Miller was, she was not her mother. She had to get this sorted out. '_Inheritance? Requested in her will for her seventeenth birthday? Will? Beatrice Miller?_' Hermione was getting a migraine. Her clutched her head and slowly massaged it. The added confusion caused her head to pound. She had never been this confused in her life, ever.

Hermione felt a few tears leak out from her closed eyelids. She furiously brushed them away. It was no used to cry. She just needed to think rationally. She needed to talk to someone. She needed to… talk to Dumbledore!

Dumbledore!

Hermione ignored her aching head as she grabbed the scroll from the floor and head downstairs, towards Professor Dumbledore's office.


End file.
